Christina Skjolberg is one of Norways best kept secrets … but her debut album (released this February on Ruf Records) is about to change all that. She’s been playing blues guitar on the small island of Smøla since since she was 12 years old – and has been thoroughly inspired by Hendrix (she has a tattoo of the master inked onto her left shoulder) – she quickly gained a formidable reputation around the blues clubs of her chilly homeland – bringing fellow Norwegians a heady mixture of warm, grinding, sultry blues. Now she’s set to go global …
We had an early listen to ‘Come And Get It‘ :
The album starts with the title track ‘Come And Get It’ and is prickly and loose-handed with a voice that comes at you like cold clumps of briny moss … while tiny wisps of organ frostily cycle in-and-out to tussle with the gregarious guitar-work. The whole thing fizzes like an Alka -Seltzer time-bomb. It’s delicious and bubbly.
‘Runaway’ is light and strong – with the voice of Christina robustly expounding the argument against female drudgery.
With some sensational drum-work ‘Bullet’ screams like a panther alarmed. And ‘Get On’ is funky jazz -fringed and full of optimism.
‘Moving On’ is slow moving and deep dark blue. This song comes into the darkest recesses of your fragile mind – it soothes out the chaotic contours of your soul with effortless precision.
While ‘Inspiration’ is faster and slightly more chaotic – very similar to work by Chantel McGregor. With that softly fragile vocal pushed up close against slightly more vindictive guitars.
This accomplished album finishes with ‘Nag Blues’ which sounds like a cross between Eddie Cochran and Johnny Cash – it is full of pent-up misery, set-backs and twanging distress. Gosh! This is good !
– © Neil_Mach February 2014 –
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